Happy New Year, and a Parsley Pesto to you!

Well christmas was mayhem at Chez Foti. Lots of friends and family guests, way too much food and good wine, late nights, plenty of doggie walks in the glorious (and surprisingly mild) sunshine and a couple of days of sledging in the Pyrenees. A fabulous time. And now the house is quiet, well as quiet as it gets with a two and a four year old and two chaotic doggies. Here’s hoping you all had a fab festive time and wishing everyone the very best for 2013.

I have to admit to very little on the cooking front since New Years Day. After weeks of pre-christmas freezer-filling baking and cooking it’s been a welcome break to gorge on the leftovers and eat simple pasta suppers. But I have been making plenty of my own pesto, which is ridiculously quick and simple to make. I’ve been using parsley instead of basil, and almonds instead of pine kernels, with fabulous results. My basil finished weeks ago in the garden but the Parsley’s still in happy abundance. And you really can’t beat a bowl of pasta served plainly and simply with lashings of homemade pesto. Though if you want to veg things up a little, as I always do, it’s wonderful with a handful or two of steamed french beans or courgette strips running through the pasta too.

Simply place all the ingredients, bar the lemon, salt and pepper in a food processor and whiz until you have a your desired pesto texture. I like mine fairly rustic with a few lumps and bumps. Or place all the ingredients in a bowl and blitz with a stick blender. Both work equally well. Taste and season with a little lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mmmmm delicious! I love pesto but haven’t tried making it with parsely, but definitely will now I’ve seen your recipe. The combination of parsley with almonds sounds really good. And absolutely perfect for Herbs on Saturday – thanks so much for entering!

Good to hear you had a fun holiday – happy new year! You’re right, parsley pesto makes an nice change from basil. I sometimes add some mint leaves too – pinched the idea from a recipe for Sicilian pesto!

Happy New Year Lou!! Your crazy Christmas sounds as exhausting but wonderful as ours! I too am craving simple food right now and your pesto pasta looks right up my street. In fact I made a pesto with some Mache lettuce not too long ago which was also lovely and a bit different. You are so right that you can’t beat a good pesto 🙂 x

How lovely that you still have some fresh herbs to make pesto! I made a parsley and cranberry pistou for my turkey soup (made with leftovers) that turned out really well. This pesto looks delicious! Did the kiddies like it?

One of my littlies liked it (Master Jacques) but unfortunately his Big Sis wasn’t so impressed. She’s not a big pesto fan, but then she’s only recently started to eat lasagne and pizza, so maybe I can convince on the pesto soon too!

Happy new year! And it sounds like you had a great holiday. We adore pesto but I have yet to make it, I think this has just spurred me on. Yours looks delicious and I love the idea of parsley and almonds.

Gorgeous! I’m not a big fan of commercial pestos but homemade ones can be amazing and I particularly love ones like this that are a spin on the traditional. Which reminds me, I really need to post the recipe for my spinach and walnut one……

Ah thanks Karen, the book did indeed arrive but I’m so sorry I’ve somehow managed to not thank you for it. It’s a gorgeous book full of wonderful recipes that no doubt I’ll be trying plenty of very soon!